kernel of truth

Noun

 * 1)  A core accuracy at the heart of a claim or narrative which also contains dubious or fictitious elements.
 * There may be a kernel of truth in the story of how George Washington confessed to his father that he chopped down the cherry tree.
 * 1) * 1955, F. Schmidl, "The problem of scientific validation in psycho-analytic interpretation," International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, vol 36 no 2 (Mar/Apr), pp. 105-113.
 * This statement will be unacceptable to many biographers and historians, but there seems to be a definite kernel of truth in it.
 * This statement will be unacceptable to many biographers and historians, but there seems to be a definite kernel of truth in it.

Translations

 * Dutch: kern van waarheid
 * Finnish: totuuden jyvä
 * French: part de vérité, fond de vérité
 * Georgian: ჭეშმარიტების მარცვალი, სიმართლის მარცვალი
 * German: Körnchen Wahrheit
 * Hungarian: szemernyi igazság
 * Icelandic: sannleikskorn
 * Irish: iarracht den fhírinne
 * Polish: ziarno prawdy
 * Russian: зерно́ и́стины